


Second Chances

by Destiel_Mythos



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 14:35:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23069563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destiel_Mythos/pseuds/Destiel_Mythos
Summary: It's all over. The next big apocalypse is finished and Team Free Will lost. Dean is the last man standing but he's done. Death and Billie conspire with Dean in hope that they can change the outcome.
Relationships: Castiel & Dean Winchester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in June 2019 but forgot about it when I started on a new project. Found it again this morning and decided it wasn't too bad. Made a few changes and voila.

It had been a week since everything had ended. They had put up a fight and they had taken out as many of those son-of-a-bitches as they could but it was like trying to hold back the tide – impossible. Cas had been taken first when he had tried to protect Dean and Sam had followed moments after. Demons and angels had laughed at Dean’s pain – leaving him to live as his punishment for daring to interfere. Dean was alone.

It was like the apocalypse had been restarted without a pause – the weather, the weirdness but this time Dean didn’t care. Dean didn’t pick up a weapon, he didn’t fight, he just wanted to die. Sam was gone. His baby brother who he had promised to always protect – dead. And, Castiel – Dean tried hard not to think about his best friend Castiel who had saved him from hell and fought by his side asking for nothing but patience and acceptance. Dean had loved him so much, much more than a brother, but he’d never told him and now it was too late.

  
Dean had burned their bodies, unwilling to let the demons and monsters defile them and once the flames died he retired to the bunker. Whether or not it was over – Dean Winchester was finally done.  
_____  
There was a loud crash and clang as the bunker door flew inward off its hinges, landing about fifteen feet from where Dean was sitting. He glanced up disinterestedly as Billie walked across the threshold, eyes blazing. Just before she reached the railing that ran atop the gallery stairs, it collapsed with another harsh metallic crash. Dean didn’t so much as flinch at the noise, just shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of scotch.

  
“Been waiting for you.” He slurs and grins. Though he is bloody, dirty and broken, Dean’s smile is still a thing of beauty. His nickel plated pistol with the mother of pearl handle grip is laid across his thigh loaded and shining in the artificial light.

  
Billie looked at the dull green eyes that used to sparkle with mischief and life; she wants to weep for what’s become of Dean Winchester. Yes, Dean was a raging pain in her ass but he was likeable and he was necessary. She sighed and sat next to Dean grabbing one of the empty glasses on the table and poured herself a measure of his scotch – refilling his glass as she did so. She offered a silent salute.

  
They sat quietly for a long time. Dean waiting for the inevitable and Billie trying to gather in the storm of her thoughts.

  
“It wasn’t supposed to go down like this.” Billie started. “There were to be more battles ahead, you were supposed to help train the next generation of hunters, Castiel was,” Dean interrupts her.

  
“Cas is gone; dead.” Dean grates and Billie can see his hand shaking as he takes another sip of his scotch. “Sam’s dead, Cas is dead, Jack is dead, Mom is dead, Dad, Bobby, Charlie, Kevin, Ellen, Jo, Ash – am I missing anyone?” He asks harshly waiting for her answer.

  
Billie sighs. “I don’t know what happened Dean. Somewhere, somehow, things got turned around and started going wrong. I think it was Amara. She was the start.”

  
Dean narrowed his eyes on her for a moment, briefly considering killing her but then, who would reap him? He takes another sip feeling defiant and setting the glass back on the map table hard. “Meaning?”

  
Billie glanced up from where she had been staring at her thumb nail tracing the edge of the table. “Your entire destiny shifted slightly – but just slightly, when you killed my predecessor. Even Amara’s appearance after being locked away since the beginning of time shouldn’t have been an issue but she moved a key piece. A lynch pin if you will.” Billie’s voice was even but Dean could tell she was livid.

  
“Your mother’s death was the reason your father, you and Sam all began hunting and that was destiny but when God allowed Amara to bring her back, destiny was edited. Oh granted, the changes were not huge but her soul had been in heaven and you were doing what you were meant to do. Jack would still have been born and you would continue averting the apocalypse until the next generation of hunters was ready to take over; you were nearly there.” Billie shook her head and tapped the table in front of her. “So close.”

  
Suddenly, Billie was in motion – her glass was shattering against the wall opposite them and she was in a rage. “So many souls, both in heaven and hell that were ferried to their final destinations have come back into play and those that should be here are gone – out of my reach.” She picked up the chair and smashed it into a cabinet wishing that the shattering of the glass would bring her some measure of peace but all it did was piss her off more.

  
“God broke his promise and interfered. I was willing to forgive him when he allowed his sister to reach into heaven t return your mother but now… He brought them all back – demons, angels, certain people and all of them are supposed to be dead. And how many of those who should be here have died as a result?” She turned to Dean her eyes blazing again in righteous indignation. “Death is my domain! HOW DARE HE!!!” She turned a full circle looking around the bunker, taking it all in screaming and pulling at her hair. “He is a child, petulant, a spoiled brat who wasn’t getting his own way so he decided to hit the reset button.” Dean looked up, barely interested.

  
“Fine. If that is how he wants it – two can play at that game.” Billie snarls and now she does have Dean’s attention.

  
“Can you bring them back?” Dean asks and he doesn’t care if it sounds like he’s pleading. If it would bring them back he was willing to get down on his hands and knees and kiss her ass. If it would bring them back, he was willing to return to Alistair’s rack in hell for eternity.

  
Billie stops railing. “They are beyond my reach.” She sighs deeply. “Sam is with your parents and his friends in heaven and I cannot and will not remove souls from heaven.” Tears fall from Dean’s eyes as the momentary flash of hope is dashed.

  
“And Cas?” His voice is so quiet it is barely a whisper of sound.

  
“Castiel is in the empty.” Her voice sounds somewhat defeated.

  
There is silence and then someone, not Dean or Billie, clears his throat. They look up.

  
“I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death.” Billie quoted and Death chuckled.

  
“You shouldn’t waste good scotch in an apocalypse Billie. You never know when you’ll get more.” Death descended the stairs looking exactly the same as he had before Dean had killed him. “Dean.” He nodded to the hunter.

  
“Uh,” Dean couldn’t find words.

  
“Mmm yes. I imagine you do feel rather awkward.” He sat down and took Dean’s nearly empty glass and swallowed the last of the scotch.

  
Billie could only stare. “Now what?”

  
“The game has changed. The universe is trying desperately to stay in balance and when God brought the others back, I was brought back from where I was too. He hasn’t changed just this universe with his little temper tantrum, he’s changed them all.” He smiled up at Billie and she froze, feeling terror she had never known existed. “We have been working our entire existence, taking souls and preserving them for a child who treats those souls like toys to be broken at his whim. I was here before there was a God or The Darkness and I grew to love his creation as much as any entity can. I will be here long after I have reaped him and his sister.” Death spoke evenly but the absolute rage poured from him.

  
Dean didn’t care if Death was pissed. If he died for his insolence so be it. “Can you bring Cas back?” He asked. “Cas doesn’t deserve an eternity in the Empty.” Dean’s voice was rough from repressed emotion.

  
Death frowned at Dean. “I should obliterate you were you stand for what you did to me but truly, I should have known better. The mark was driving you and of course your natural inclination would be to save Sam. Besides, it’s not like I died. Not really.” He turned to face Dean fully. “I’ll make a deal with you Dean but you won’t be able to back out of this one.”

  
Dean met Death’s eyes, not daring to hope.

  
“When God hit the reset button, many things in many worlds changed – just having Billie and I here at the same time in the same reality is unravelling things.” He looked at Billie regarding her almost fondly. “As you know Dean, there are other, alternate realities – you’ve been to a few of them.”

  
“The ripple effect.” Billie stated and Death nodded.

  
“All the worlds have been thrown out of balance and things are struggling to catch up, we have an opportunity to take advantage of it and set things right. As I told you before – I’m old Dean. Older than God. There is a chance we can change things, without God being any the wiser.”

  
“I’m listening.” Dean mumbled leaning forward to give Death his full attention.

  
“In many of those alternate universes, you and Sam have already died, in some you never existed. In so many of them, Castiel never came to you and the apocalypse was actually started. In fact, this is only the second reality in which you succeeded in shutting the apocalypse down.” Death reached forward grabbing the nearly empty bottle of scotch refilling the glass he had taken from Dean. He took a sip and let it linger on his tongue before swallowing.

  
“This is my offer Dean. You go back to the beginning. What changes in one world affects all worlds and I… we will ensure you go with your memories intact. Change what you will, what you think might make a difference – the Sam you will be with will still be your brother but not the same version of him – he will have no knowledge of any these events.”

  
“What about the other me? What happens to him?” Dean asked – he was always careful to get the details on these sorts of deals.

  
“I’ll take you to a world where he has just died. His soul will pass on to heaven where I will take him to your Sam and explain to both of them what has happened. The world I will be sending you to will be one where Cas has never come to you; does not, in fact, exist any longer as he was killed eons ago in a battle with greater demons. It is unfortunate but Jimmy Novak will be taken so that your Castiel can use his vessel.”

  
“Can you do that? Don’t you need permission or something?” Dean asked, he was trying so hard not to get his hopes up. He might not be getting his Sam but he would be getting his Cas. His heart rate sped up. “Would Cas still be an angel?”

  
“We can and yes, Castiel would still be an angel. Just as Michael was able to cross into this world without losing his power, Castiel can cross into that one.” Death nodded, looking somber. “I don’t do it lightly because I don’t like to tamper with the universe but once in forever is permissible for a good cause, don’t you think?” Dean nodded and Billie came to sit with her old mentor.

  
“So what do we do?” Billie asked eagerly.

  
Dean interrupted suddenly. “Would I be able to tell Sam that I am not the Dean he remembers?”

  
Death squinted in his direction, considering his question. “You know that if you tell him about what is to come, it may turn out much differently and as Billie said, you were so close to fulfilling your destiny here. If you go, would you attempt to change the past – Sam and Ruby? Castiel and Crowley?”

  
Dean thought about it; fought with himself. “You said I could change things.”

  
Death nodded. “Best to just change small things. Small things can make the biggest difference but change the big things and the whole things shifts out of balance; which is what we are seeing now that God hit reset.”

  
“I understand but Cas won’t swallow the leviathan this time because he knows what happens so there will already be big changes.”

  
Death smiled his disturbing smile. “Exactly. You won’t need to make many changes because you and Castiel will already change the way you did things here. There will also be things that never happened there. For instance, Sam never died, you never sold your soul – it will be different. I cannot guarantee the outcome but it’s a chance.”

  
Dean was nodding but he didn’t care about what would be different as long as he had Sam and Cas back. “Let’s do this.”

  
“Dean take a minute to think about it. You’re already tired and I will be putting your soul back into the body of a thirty-year-old. Some of the battles you’ve already fought and won will have to be refought – you might even lose this time.” Death warned but Dean was shaking his head.

  
“I don’t care. Either we do this or you reap me now. I can’t stay here alone.” Dean said it quietly.

  
Billie looked at him through her dark eyes, “Dean Winchester – you would seriously quit fighting?”

  
Dean met her gaze head on. “I’ve got nothing left to fight for here. Jody, Donna and the girls can have the bunker and everything in it but I don’t want to be here without Sam. Without Cas.”

  
Billie smirked. “There was a time you wouldn’t have included Cas.”

  
Dean looked down ashamed. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes.” He looked up at Billie and Death. “This is my chance to fix it.” Dean glanced again at Death, “What happens when I die in this new world? Will I be in my Sam’s heaven? Or...” his voice trailed off.

  
“I’ll get you where you are supposed to be Dean but as I said, here you were at the end of the road – there, you’ll have barely begun.” It was a lot for anyone but Dean was strong and Death hoped he would take him up on this offer.

  
“And Cas?” Dean asked.

  
“If I have to move the three of you to your own universe, I’ll make sure you all end up in the same place when it’s all done.” Death promised.

  
Dean nodded, stood up and clapped his hands. “I don’t need time to think about this. Let’s just get it done.”

  
Billie stepped forward, “You’re nearly finished here Dean. Another few years and you can join Sam.” She stated and watched his eyes as he calculated the best way for all of them.

  
He shook his head again, “I won’t leave Cas behind. I can’t.”

  
Death smiled and got up. " Billie – you will contact his friends so they can take up the fight.” Billie nodded and held out her hand.

  
“It has been an honor knowing you Dean.” Dean snorted in amusement, taking her hand and pulling her into a quick hug.

  
“You’re full of shit and we both know it, but thanks.” Billie smiled in amusement.

  
Death turned to Dean. “Ready?”

  
Dean held his hands out to the side and closed his eyes as Death brushed his fingers along his forehead.  
\-----  
Dean opened his eyes where he was laid out on a bed at Bobby’s house. He sat up and looked around at the familiar surroundings. Death appeared to him.

  
“Remember, this is not your past brother or friends – these are alternate versions though I do believe you’ll find them quite similar. Good luck Dean.” With that Death was gone.

  
Dean dragged himself off the bed wondering at the lack of aches and pains his body had been feeling for the past few years and saw himself in a mirror over the dresser. “Hey handsome.” He grinned at himself and heard low voices downstairs. He took a deep breath and walked down to greet his family.

  
Sam and Bobby had both been sitting in Bobby’s office drinking while Bobby tried to dissuade Sam from making a deal to bring Dean back. Dean was instantly pissed.

  
“I’d listen to Bobby if I were you Sam.” Dean said from the doorway and watched amused as Sam sprang to his feet and turned so quickly he almost fell. “I see you’re as graceful as ever.”

  
“Dean!” Sam looked him up and down. “But how?” Bobby came around the desk with a flask in hand and Dean knew what was coming next.

  
“Let me save you some time and trouble Bobby.” Dean grabbed the flask of holy water and chugged some and grabbed up the knife he held in his other hand and cut himself holding up his bleeding arm. “Good enough?” he asks. Sam moved forward and hugged him tightly.

  
“I thought we’d lost you.” The big man murmurs and Dean can hear the emotion and relief in his voice. Sam stepped back to let Bobby in. Bobby stared a moment and then threw a handful of salt at Dean.

  
Dean chuckled. “I guess I should have expected that.”

  
Bobby shrugged and moved to hug Dean. “Can’t be too careful.”

  
Finally, the three moved to sit in Bobby’s office and Bobby offered him a drink. Dean nodded and took a sip gratefully. “Is Cas here yet?” he asked.

  
Sam frowned. “Who’s Cas? And how are you back?”

  
Dean sighed. “Long, long story Sammy.” He looked around and picked up a picture on Bobby’s desk of himself and his wife Karen. “I guess I should start by telling you I’m not your Dean.” Sam frown but Bobby had a gun out in an instant. Dean held up his hands in a placating gesture.

  
“I am Dean, just not your Dean. Wow, I really wish Death would have hung around to help with the explanations.

”  
“Death? _As in The Death?_” Bobby asked looking incredulous.

  
“Yep. I wouldn’t have told you but I’m sure you’d have figured it out pretty fast. I can’t give you many details – something about a ripple effect or something. So, please don’t ask because I didn’t really understand it. I’m not sure how much like my world this one is. Where I come from there is magic and supernatural creatures and we hunt them and save people. Is that about right?” Sam nodded dumbly.

  
“So who is this Cas you were asking about?” Bobby asked into the oppressive silence.

  
“Cas is an angel.”

  
“Okay Dean I think maybe you were dead too long. You’re not making any sense.” Sam put a hand on his shoulder.  
Dean sighed and smacked his hand away wondering if Death had been unable to get Cas out of The Empty. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Was he stuck here now without Cas?

  
A moment later Dean heard a fluttering sound and saw Bobby’s jaw drop open in shock. “Heya Cas.” He turned and saw the angel standing there in a young Jimmy Novak’s vessel. He was going to get his second chance. “You’re late.”

  
The angel smiled at him radiantly. “Hello Dean.”


End file.
